A Brief History of Arksey - Part Two

Top left to right, Arksey School, Ings Lane.
Middle left to right, Arksey Station, Plough Inn.
Bottom left to right, Station Road, Almholme Lane in flood.

A Time Of Change

In part one we saw how the small Domesday settlement of Archeseia grew into a thriving rural village with a magnificent Norman church, pretty stone cottages, a school, a Hall, Almshouses and farms surrounded by arable land. 

As the nineteenth century dawned change on a scale not seen before would affect the area greatly. The biggest changes would be felt the most in Bentley, its nearest neighbour, but Arksey would also be pulled along, albeit at a slower rate, as the industrial revolution got underway.

In this second part of a two-part introduction to the history of Arksey we look at how the changes affected the village in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and how Arksey continues to change in the twenty first century.

Throughout this post there are links to more in-depth articles that will expand aspects of the history even further.

Continued from A Brief History of Arksey - Part One.

Contents of Part Two

• Eighteenth Century Arksey
• Further Enclosure Acts
• Nineteenth Century Arksey
• Industrial Revolution
• Arksey Station
• Tuffield Brick Yard
• Some Notable Buildings
• Coney Garth
• Field House
• Brook House Farm
• The Coffin House
• The Old Smithy
• The Pinfold
• Old Cemetery
• Twentieth Century Arksey
• The Rise of Bentley
• Bentley Colliery
• Bentley-with-Arksey Urban District
• Arksey in the Early 1900's 
• The Church Hall
• The Post Office
• Public Houses in Arksey
• The Carpenter's Arms
• The Plough Inn
• The Hammer & Wedge
• Arksey Victoria Club
• The New Cemetery
• Flooding
• The Late Twentieth Century
• New Estate
• New School
• Into the Twenty First Century
• Arksey Today

Eighteenth Century Arksey

Further Enclosure Acts

The last major enclosure project took place in 1827 and the impact on the people of Bentley and Arksey would have been immense.

Up until the Enclosure Act many families would have been self-sufficient, keeping a cow or a pig on common land and growing their own produce, either on their own property or in the many strips of land in the open fields.

Following Enclosure, and not being entitled to any land awards, they would have worked for a local farmer and been forced to buy provisions. As a result more shops began to appear, especially in Bentley where in 1834 there were three shops, four butchers, two tailors and three boot and shoe makers. Added to these were a mustard factory, a corn mill, three wheelwrights, one blacksmiths, two maltsters, three beer houses and and three inns, including The Grey Horse (later The Bay Horse).

For a full list of traders in Bentley in 1834 and other years go to Trade Directories on sister site Bentley Village, A History.

Bentley from the enclosure map of 1827

Of the 1893 acres of land enclosed in Arksey and Bentley, Sir William Bryan Cooke acquired 1447. The remaining 450 acres were allotted in small amounts of between 22 perches and 33 acres to other landowners. Of the farmers listed in the trade directories for 1822 and 1837 only two were recorded in the enclosure award as owning land of their own, the rest must have been renting from Sir W B Cooke and elsewhere.

Land overlooking Wheatley Hall, on the Arksey side of the river was enclosed by Sir William Bryan Cooke, this had the advantage of providing privacy to the Hall by excluding villagers the use of this common land. 

This Enclosure Document below is quite hard to read, but there is a transcription below: 

Bentley & Arksey Inclosure

Sir,

In pursuance of the directions of this Inclosure Act, I, Joseph Whitaker of Morton, in the county of Nottingham, the commissioner appointed in and by the said Act, here ascertained the value of the Tithes payable from and out of the Messuages, Cottages, Tofts and Toftsteads, ancient inclosed Lands and Grounds, within the townships of Bentley and Arksey, according and in proportion to the Terms fixed by the said Act of Parliament. - And I have adjudged and determined, that the sum of £45.7.7 will be a full compensation and satisfaction for all Tithes, both great and small, Modus (?), Compositions, Ecclesiastical dues and all other Payments whatsoever (Mortuaries and Surplice Fees excepted), arising, growing, issuing, renewing, increasing, or happening, or which may arise, grow, issue, renew, increase, or happen, within, from, for, or in respect of any or all and Singular, the Homesteads, Gardens, Orchards, or other ancient inclosed Lands and Grounds, belonging to you, within the townships of Bentley and Arksey aforesaid.

And you are hereby required to pay the said sum of £45.7.7 into the Bank of Sir William Bryan Cooke, Bart. and Co. in Doncaster, on or before the nineteenth day of September next. - and I hereby give you notice that, from and after the date hereof, the said Homesteads, Gardens, Orchards, or other ancient inclosed Lands and Grounds, belonging to you, will be for ever exonerated and discharged from the payment of any Tithes (Mortuaries and Surplice Fees excepted), or composition for Tithes, whatsoever.

Doncaster, February 12, 1829

Signatures   W. Thomas Loxley (?)               J. Whitaker

(There is one other signature which is unclear).

Nineteenth Century Arksey

Industrial Revolution

Arksey during the first half of the nineteenth century was fairly typical of most agricultural villages. There was a butchers shop, a grocers shop, two alehouses and a smithy as well as the school, Almshouses and church. The local squire lived at the Hall and most of the land was owned by Sir William Bryan Cooke bart, of Wheatley Hall. The villagers still relied on agriculture as their main method of income and the village was a rural mix of farms and cottages.

As the Industrial Revolution was gathering pace in larger towns and cities, it wouldn't be long before industry would begin to feed into the lives of more remote communities like Arksey.

For a full list of traders in Arksey for 1834 and other years go to Trade Directories.

Arksey Station

A key part of the Industrial Revolution was the railway, it was not only needed to bring coal from the northern coalfields to London, but also as a fast way of travel for passengers. 

In 1844 there was only one railway from London to the north of England, and that ran to Birmingham. A Bill was passed in 1845 for the building of a railway from London to York and construction commenced in 1847.

The first section of track to open in the Doncaster area was between Arksey and Knottingley in June 1848. A level crossing intersected Arksey Lane and a station was built on the north east side of the crossing, opposite the fishing pond. The station was at first named Stockbridge Station, due its close proximity to Stockbridge, although by 1854 the name was changed to Arksey Station.

Arksey Station in 1893

At first London trains ran to York via Askern as Doncaster only had a temporary station, just north of the present one. In 1871 a direct line between London and York via Arksey was established and became known as the main east coast railway line.

Arksey Station on a map of 1903. The railway line runs north to south
and the road runs diagonally across it.

Following the Second World War cuts were made to many branch lines and stations, and while the main east coast line escaped the cuts Arksey station didn't. It closed in August 1952 and was demolished in the 1970's. There is no trace of the station today.  

Although the railway line itself was situated away from the village centre, there were still repercussions to having a line nearby. One indirect effect was the selling off of land to the railway companies. The Cooke family made huge profits from land sales to GNER in the 1880's and 1890's, and similarly, squire William Chadwick of Arksey Hall also made enough money off the back of land sales and leases to support his family.

Whether these land losses affected the people of Arksey is not known, but another by-product of the industrial age would certainly have not gone unnoticed in the village, that of the brick yard.


For more on this go to Arksey and the Railway.

Tuffield Brick Yard

Tuffield brick works opened in a field off Shaftholme Road during the early 1850's. The field, which was awarded to William Chadwick senior (of Arksey Hall) at Enclosure, was found to contain a substantial clay pit ideal for brick making. By 1851 Tuffield Brick and Tile Yard was in full operation. The yard supplied several million bricks for work on the railways and produced drainage pipes and other earthenware goods.

1854 map showing the location of Tuffiled Brick and Tile Yard

According to the 1851 census the brick yard was being managed by Michael Goodfellow who employed six men and three boys to produce sand faced bricks. The men came from as far away as Cheshire and Staffordshire because skilled brick makers had to follow work around the country as clay pits were worked out.

Close up of the above 1854 map showing the brick yard in more detail

By 1861 the brick yard had closed and the pond left behind after the clay was extracted is now known as Willow Garth fishing pond. Tuffield's wasn't the only brick yard in the area, there was one at Tilts, another at Bentley Moor Lane and a further two at Toll Bar; these have either been filled in or made into fish ponds too.

Some Notable Buildings

Aside from what was happening with industry in the area, housing continued to be built in the village, and two of the larger houses have interesting stories.

Coney Garth 

Coney Garth is a large, imposing red brick town house on Station Road. 

On early maps the area the house would be built on is shown as an enclosed piece of land, possibly attached to an orchard. It is not clear if the name or the house came first, but Coney Garth comes from Coning-erth a 'warren' (as in rabbit warren) and garth an 'enclosure'.

The site of Coney Garth on a map of 1854

Built in 1880, it was built for a member of the Dunhill family (possibly Dunhill sweets or tobacco, which one is yet to be confirmed). William Dunhill (1837 - 1887) was a pharmaceutical chemist and after his untimely death at the age of 50, his widow Mary Elizabeth Dunhill (1843 - 1914) and their two daughters lived on in the house until Mary herself died in 1914. After which, Mary's daughter Edith stayed on in the house until 1927. 

Since that time Coney Garth, which is also number 37 Station Road, has had a succession of owners, some are listed below:

• 1934 - Woodhall
• 1937 - Watson
• 1948 - Townend
• 1949 - Hannam

Part of the house was let to the Connor family as number 37a between 1951 and 1959.

Coney Garth pictured in 2009

In early 2021 Coney Garth once again came up for sale. The estate agents, Preston Baker, described how the three storey house had five bedrooms, with a further two in an annexed section. A range of original features were also described such as wood door panelling, ornate plaster work and high ceilings. The house sold in early June 2021 and is set to remain as a family home.

The following photos come courtesy of Preston Baker, with the kind permission of the new and previous owners.

Property front and entrance

Property rear

Entrance hall and stairs

Stairs

Entrance hall

Above the main entrance, on the very top of the gable sits a stone griffin. The griffin if a symbol of prosperity and status.

The griffin at Coney Garth
photo courtesy of
Joanne Shaw

Field House

Field House was a large property on Ings Lane probably dating from the mid 1800's. A map of 1854 appears to show a smaller dwelling on the site, but unlike later maps, the property isn't named.

The first reference to the house is in the 1871 census when George Willey was resident there. He was aged ninety four and described as a retired gentleman. He lived with his daughter, Ann Maria and they had two servants in residence.

Field House highlighted on a map of 1891

John “Jockie” Wood lived in 'Westfield House' (according to the census) on Ings Lane from at least 1879. Born in Scotland he was a local farmer and horse trainer, and one of his daughters married a well known auctioneer named Richard Jennings who was the godson of the Earl of Scarborough. Richard grew up in Arksey and in 1901 was listed with his parents Thomas and Emily.

The original 'Field House' was demolished and a modern house built nearby carries the name in memory of the original building.

Field House

Brook House Farm House

Brook House Farm on Almholme Lane occupied a central location in Arksey, just by the junction of Station Road, Almholme Lane, Ings Lane and Church Lane. 

Brook House Farm on a map of 1891

Built in 1812, the farm originally consisted of a house and outbuildings for animals. 

The photo below shows the farm during the floods of 1932. The house has a distinctive hipped roof with central chimney stack. The photo was taken from the church tower, Arksey Hall can be seen top left and the Plough Inn is situated off the bottom left side of the photo.

Brook House Farm in flood 1932

It is difficult to find past owners of the farm from the census, which does not tend to name properties, however, the 1891 census does mention a farm near to the vicarage, which can only be Brook House. It was owned by John Auty at that time. 

More recent electoral records do name the farm, and from 1948 to 1962, the farm was owned by Edwin Nicholson. Records are only available to view up to 1962, however, the Nicholson's remained at Brook House Farm for many years after.

In 2007 the outbuildings were stripped out and incorporated into new build houses and flats; the land forming All Saints Close. The photo below was taken during building work when the old animal byres were visible in their basic form.

Exposed animal byres at Brook House Farm, 2007

The 1812 farm house is Grade II listed and has been retained and is now a private residence.

The Coffin House

On the north side of Almholme Lane is a yard of mews houses and an odd wedge shaped house. This collection of buildings used to house livestock, pigs and chicken. Dating is almost impossible, but it does appear on the 1854 Arksey map.

The Coffin House on a map of 1854

It became dubbed the 'Slaughter House' because of this history, but the wedge shaped building now named 'The Barn' has also become known as the 'Coffin House', probably due to it's shape. 

Almholme Lane facing west, the Coffin House is on the right, narrow end on.

The Old Smithy

The Old Smithy, near the almshouses is tucked away down a little service road to a smal cul-de-sac off High Street. It is in a state of collapse now, but this long, low building was once home to the village blacksmith.

The old smithy pictured in 1992

The exact age of the building isn't known, but it was probably built in the 1850's to replace an earlier smithy which was attached to the Horseshoe Inn (latterly The Plough Inn). The Trout family were blacksmiths and publicans, and they bought the premises as a blacksmith's shop, in the 1720's, turning part of it into an inn in the 1770's. The two businesses seem to have existed side-by-side until the 1861 census when William Trout (age 50) is listed as an 'Innkeeper' rather than an 'Innkeeper and Blacksmith' for the first time. William died in 1863.

One of William's sons, also called William, carried on with the blacksmiths trade. In 1861 and at the age of 23 he is listed at a separate address as a 'Journeyman Blacksmith' (a travelling blacksmith), however by 1871 he was established in the High Street smithy. The resident blacksmith in 1861 was Richard Richardson, so he was probably the first permanent blacksmith at the 'new' smithy.

William Trout and his family moved to the Sheffield district by 1880, but his brother Thomas continued to work as a blacksmith, but from premises in Almholme Lane.

In 1881 the blacksmith is listed as George Tinker (age 33), and he lived in a cottage on High Street. 

The smithy as seen on the 1891 map

The smithy ceased to be used sometime in the 1880's and by 1891 it had been converted into a Wesleyan Mission Room, which continued as such until 1921. 

The old smithy as seen from the church tower during the floods of 1932.
From a photo courtesy of Jill Lowe

Before going out of use completely the old smithy was used by the local football team as a changing room.

By the mid 1970's the smithy unused and left empty, the building became derelict.

By 2009 a new cul-de-sac of houses had been built on land behind the smithy and a new road created in front of it, but still the building was left to decay.

The smithy with the new road and houses behind, pictured in 2009

Today the roof as partially collapsed and the building appears very unsafe. A sad demise for a once useful and much loved building.

Photo showing the roof collapse, taken from the rear garden of number 9 High Street in 2016

For more on the Trout family go to The Trout Family.

For more on the chapel go to Methodist Worship in Arksey.

The Pinfold

At the junction of Ings Lane and Hemp Pits Road is a round enclosure known as a pinfold. It is eleven metres in diameter and is thought to date from the early 19th century. 

1854 map showing the location of the pinfold

It is built of magnesian limestone rubble and sandstone copings. It has a gate in the north side with two large monolithic jambs and is Grade II listed. Historically, pinfolds provided a temporary enclosure for stray animals, or were sometimes used by drovers taking their stock to market. Pinfolds can be square, rectangular or circular and can vary in size.

The pinfold

Old Cemetery

Up until 1883 all burials in Arksey took place in the churchyard, however, this relatively small plot of land was filling up fast and a new site had to be found for future burials. The Arksey-with-Bentley Burial Board chose a site just north of the railway station and spent £362 purchasing the land there. 

The 'new' cemetery on a map of 1903

The cemetery was laid out in a rectangular plot and surrounded by hedges, and some ornamental trees were provided by William Chadwick jnr of Arksey Hall.

The first interment took place in March 1885, and among some of the notable graves found there are a number of WW1 graves, two former school masters of Arksey and a special plot for the Chadwick family of Arksey Hall.

This first cemetery in Arksey also became full over time and went out of regular use in the 1920's. It is now referred to as the Old Cemetery.

For more on this and other burials in Arksey go to In Memoriam. 

Twentieth Century Arksey

The Rise of Bentley

The dawning of the twentieth century saw Bentley and Arksey pulled in opposite directions. While Bentley embraced the new mining industry sweeping South Yorkshire, Arksey clung on to its agricultural past and grew at a much slower rate.

By 1901, even before the colliery was opened, Bentley was substantially larger than Arksey; the population of Arksey that year was 384, while in Bentley the total was 2,019. In fifty years the population of Bentley had risen from around 700, while in Arksey the population had dropped slightly from around 400. But it was the new Bentley Colliery that had the most dramatic effect on the population, because by 1921 the population of Bentley had risen to almost 13,000. Men moving to the area with their families to work in the mine accounted for this rise.  

The effect Bentley Colliery had on the village of Bentley was immense and while the effects were felt in Arksey, they were not on the same scale as with their neighbour.

Bentley Colliery

Sinking the first shaft of the new colliery in 1905

Attempts to sink a shaft at a site north of Bentley began in 1904 and after encountering several problems, succeeded in 1906. At first it was known as 'Arksey Colliery', but it was later changed to 'Bentley Colliery'.

By 1908 the coal seam had been reached and so began eighty five years of coal mining in Bentley. The mine provided jobs and security for the area. A 'New Village' was constructed to house the huge influx of miners and their families coming to live and work in Bentley.

Bentley soon became a township, with shops, businesses, a tram service, schools, churches and many recreational facilities. The progress of Bentley left rural Arksey behind, but subtle changes were happening in the village, just at a much slower rate.

Bentley High Street about 1910

For more on the colliery go to Bentley Pit History Part 1 - 85 Years of Mining on sister site Bentley Village, A History.

Bentley-with-Arksey Urban District 

As we've seen earlier, both Arksey and Bentley grew up during the manorial system era. Following a succession of landowners the manor of Bentley and Arksey was latterly under the ownership of the Cooke family. The Cooke baronets of Wheatley ran the manor for two centuries from the mid seventeenth century. When the Cookes finally relinquished their lands a civil parish was created in 1866 which placed the church in charge of rural administration. The civil parish was the lowest tier of local government, coming below districts and counties.

In 1875 the villages became part of Doncaster Rural Sanitary District until 1894, and from 1894 until 1911 continued under its successor, Doncaster Rural District.

In 1911 a separate urban district was formed which meant that Bentley and Arksey were no longer part of the Rural District. The  new Urban District had its own council with headquarters in Cooke Street, Bentley and was divided into five wards for electing members. 

1962 edition of the Urban District Guide.

The Local Government Act of 1972 brought about a reorganization of administrative areas in England and Wales, so from the 1st of April 1974 Bentley and Arksey, along with ten other authorities combined to form the Metropolitan borough of Doncaster.

In addition to administrative changes some of Arksey's roads were renamed during the nineteenth century, as listed below:

• Church Street changed to High Street
• Common Road changed to Ings Lane
• Village/Town Street changed to Arksey Road, then Station Road

Other streets such as Almholme Lane and Marsh Lane were retained. There were also two yards off High Street namely - Taylor's Yard and Ottley's Yard, both names disappeared when the old cottages were demolished. 

For a full transcription of the guide pictured above go to Bentley-with-Arksey UDC on sister site Bentley Village, A History.  

Arksey in the Early 1900's

At first Arksey remained relatively untouched by the changes happening in neighbouring Bentley, but as more families moved to the area for work extra housing was needed. Non-traditional council houses were built on the south side of Station Road in 1920 and this included Grosvenor Crescent.

Council housing on the south side of Station Road in the 1920's.
Photo courtesy of Linda Swain

Red brick terraced housing was added to the north side in the 1930's, which can be seen in the picture below. The photo was taken from the opposite direction to the one above, roughly from where the chapel used to stand, in the late 1950's or early 1960's. The photo can be dated accurately by the young trees on the verges, which Arksey residents remember being planted in the late 1950's.

Station Road looking east, late 1950's or early 1960's.
Photo courtesy of Colin Hardisty 

Housing also developed in other areas of the village. On Almholme Lane a terrace of red brick houses was built on the south side in about 1917. 

Terraced housing on Almholme Lane pictured in 2009

Following the death of William Chadwick jnr in 1910, Arksey Hall was divided up and part of the grounds to the north end of Marsh Lane was sold off. Houses were built along the road side in 1926.

Marsh Lane in the 1950's

The Church Hall

In 1925 a church hall was built next to the old post office on High Street. It was built by William Harbrow Ltd of London, for the price of £1,184.

The following is the first page of a copy of the builder's quote sent to Rev. H C Fraser in May 1925.

The church hall was used for church and community events for many years, but is now the home of The Village Teapot cafe.

The church hall pictured in 2009

The Village Teapot in 2016

The Post Office

Just after the church hall there was a three storey building which was the local post office. Ellen Trout moved into the premises in 1920 as sub-postmistress and remained there until 1956. 

The old post office building (left) on High Street

Ellen Trout had a house built in the corner of the post office grounds and she retired there. 

The old post office building remained empty for many years and it was finally pulled down in the 1970's.

The post office on Marsh Lane

The post office was transferred to number 22 Marsh Lane following Ellen Trout's retirement in 1956, and was run by Kenneth Butterfield.

By 1965 Ken and Brenda Topham had opened a general store on Station Road, and the post office was incorporated into the new shop.

Topham's shop and post office (left) in the 1960's

In 2011 the old school on High Street was granted permission to be converted into a convenience store and post office, so the post office business moved in to the new Cost Cutter store. A tea room also opened in a side building. 


It ceased to be a Cost Cutter store in the spring of 2016 under new management and ownership. In 2018 the shop and post office was relocated back to the old Topham's premises on Station Road, leaving the Old School Tea Rooms occupying the small building at the side of the old school. 

For more on Ellen Trout go to The Trout Family.

Public Houses in Arksey

There have always been alehouses in Arksey. The village grew up in a time when ale was the staple drink and considered safer than water. People would have brewed their own beer at one time and soon it became the custom to sell off the surplus beer. This led to beer houses being opened where people could gather for social drinking. 

The Carpenter's Arms

The first public house we definitely know about in Arksey was the Carpenter's Arms (as mentioned in part one). The house was built in 1620, but just when it was used as an inn isn't clear.

Former premises of the Carpenter's Arms on High Street, pictured in 2008

The Plough Inn

The best known public house in Arksey is of course, the Plough Inn. The earliest records for an inn on this site date from 1809, although the present building wasn't built until 1904. The original premises started out as a blacksmith's shop, with stables and outbuildings.

Indeed, the first recorded innkeeper, Mr William Trout (1733 - 1812) was a blacksmith by trade. After taking over the smithy in around 1760, he appears to have branched out into the inn-keeping business in about 1777, by having a new 'long-low' building attached to the smithy. This first inn was named the Horseshoe.

After briefly being renamed the Three Horse Shoes in the early 1830's, it then took its current name of The Plough. 

The Plough remained in the hands of the Trout family until 1896 when it was sold to the brewery Whitworth Son and Nephew. In 1901 the premises were described as 'one of the worst inns in the area'. So two years later plans were put in place to knock down the old building and build a new inn. 

Plough Inn 1909

For a full history of the Plough Inn go to The Plough Inn.

The Hammer & Wedge Club

Not much is known about this club, other than it was formed for miners in the 1920's and had premises in one of the Westfield cottages on Station Road, accessed by Ings Lane. There exists two photos of the Hammer & Wedge Committee which appear to date from around the late 1920's (below).

The Hammer & Wedge Committee
Photo courtesy of Jill Lowe

The Hammer & Wedge Committee
This photo may pre-date the one above

A photo recently provided shows the building once used for the Hammer & Wedge, but seen here in a derelict state prior to demolishing. 

The old Hammer & Wedge club building, seen from the entrance on Ings Lane.
Photo courtesy of Laura Hawkins
(awaiting better copy)

Arksey Victoria Club

The only other surviving hostelry in Arksey is the Victoria Social Club on Ings Lane. Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of historical information for it, but it seems to have been built in the early 20th century.

Arksey Victoria Club, pictured in 2009

Arksey Victoria Club in the 1950's.
Photo courtesy of Den Lowe

The New Cemetery 

Despite a cemetery opening in 1885 to relieve overcrowding in the churchyard, by the early 1900's space was once again at a premium and a new site was needed. 

In 1909 a new cemetery was laid out opposite the Old Cemetery in a much larger field. It was extended in 1936 and continues to be a place of burial and memorial to this day.

Arksey Cemetery

For more on Arksey's cemeteries go to In Memoriam.

Flooding 

May 1932 saw the worst flooding ever to hit Arksey in living memory. It came hot on the heels of another disaster in Bentley, when in November 1931 an explosion at the colliery killed 45 men and boys. Most of the victims were buried in a mass grave in the newly opened Arksey Cemetery and a large memorial was placed above.

Pit disaster burial at Arksey Cemetery, 25th November 1931

Just six months later both Arksey and Bentley were completely inundated by flooding. 

This wasn't the first time severe flooding had affected the villages of course; low-lying land to the north of Doncaster has always been prone to flooding especially before drainage works were carried out in the seventeenth century, and there must have been countless floods in the area over the centuries. 

Three major floods are remembered in the twentieth century, those of 1932, 1941 and 1947. The flood of May 1932 is the best documented of the three with many photos and accounts surviving to this day. Thirty hours of continuous rain caused a wave of water to sweep down the Don Valley hitting Bentley, Toll Bar, Arksey and countless other low lying communities.

High Street in flood, May 1932

Eight to ten feet of water engulfed the village of Arksey causing residents to move their belongings to upper floors. Others were evacuated by boat and many domestic animals perished.

For sixty years these floods were consigned to history with many believing that it could never happen again. However in 2007 it did happen again and although Arksey was spared any severe flooding, Bentley and Toll Bar were not so lucky. 

Once again, as I write in November 2019, the unthinkable has happened yet again. Following a very wet October, one day in November (the 7th) saw a month's worth of rain fall in just 24 hours and parts of Bentley were once again underwater, although the village of Fishlake, 12 miles north of Doncaster was the worst hit this time.

For more on this go to Arksey Underwater.

The Late Twentieth Century

From the mid twentieth century a programme of modernization got underway in the village. Many of the older cottages on High Street were not fit for habitation following repeated episodes of flooding. 

Most were demolished in the 1950's leaving vacant land for new housing; a warehouse and lorry depot was also built opposite the church hall. For many years Arksey had to put up with lorries thundering  through the quiet village. By the end of the 1970's the warehouse was closed and pulled down During the next twenty years new properties were built, and a new cul-de-sac called Rich Farm Close was created.

On Almholme Lane a static caravan park, called Wittsend Caravan Park was added to the north side in about 1961.

wittsend Caravan Park, probably in the 1970's.
Photo courtesy of Brian Holling

New Estate

Arksey was expanding, and the 1960's brought the building of a new housing estate accessed via Ings Lane. The streets of Ings Way, Vicarage Way and Brook Way were laid out first, with a later extension to Brook Way built by 1970.

Modern map showing the estate

New School 

By the mid 1960's the old school was becoming overcrowded and the almost 300 year old building wasn't fit for purpose anymore. Portable classrooms temporarily relieved the overcrowding situation, but Arksey needed a new school, especially with a new housing estate under construction.

The old school in the 1970's with the portable classrooms behind

The site chosen for the new school was in the centre of the new estate, bordered by Brook Way. It was officially opened in July 1970, and lessons started there the following September.

Inside the new school in 1970

For more on this go to Educating Arksey.  

Into the Twenty First Century

Arksey Today

Twenty first century Arksey still has very much a village feel to it. The village hasn't really expanded very much since the new estate was built in the 1960's. Most new housing is built on the sites of previous buildings or farms.

The church opens twice a week for regular services despite a dwindling congregation. The old school is now home to the Old School Tea Rooms. For a few years it also housed a Cost Cutter supermarket and the post office, but the business was relocated to Station Road in 2018. Another tea rooms, The Village Teapot opened in the church hall in 2013.

The Plough Inn saw new owners take over from David and Elaine Ross in September 2019. A recently renovated first floor meeting room now provides a comfortable function room and it is hoped this will be one public house which does not meet its demise like so many others in recent times.

The ancient village of Arksey has seen just about everything in its one thousand years plus history; from Domesday to the Normans, floods, disease, poverty, war, the benevolence of baronets, expansion and change, this small South Yorkshire village has endured much and will continue to endure as long as people choose to live in this charming place so full of history.

Arksey from Google Earth 2019

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Alison Vainlo

First written 2013, updated 2016, re-written and updated 2019.